SAMUEL WARNER CAUGHT IN LINCOLN BY PAEDOPHILE HUNTERS AFTER ONLINE GROOMING PLOT
In November 2018, Samuel Warner, a 46-year-old resident of Ebony Grove in Lincoln, found himself behind bars after a disturbing case of online grooming was uncovered.Warner appeared at Lincoln Crown Court to face serious charges related to his attempts to exploit what he believed were underage girls through digital communication.
Warner pleaded guilty to multiple counts, including two charges of inciting a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity, two additional counts of inciting a child to participate in sexual acts, and two counts of attempting to communicate sexually with a minor.
The court was informed that Warner had initiated contact with two online profiles, each purportedly belonging to 13-year-old girls.
According to court records, Warner immediately began sending a series of sexually explicit messages to these profiles, with the clear intent of persuading the girls to engage in sexual activities.
In addition to the chat messages, Warner also transmitted several nude images of himself, further demonstrating his predatory intentions.
The investigation revealed that in September 2017, Warner had arranged to meet one of the girls in person.
However, instead of meeting a minor, he was confronted by members of the paedophile hunting team known as ‘Justice 4 Kids’.
These individuals had posed as underage girls online to catch predators like Warner in the act.
During questioning, the team asked Warner about his online activities.
It was then that he was confronted with the fact that the girls he had been communicating with were actually adults working with online hunting groups ‘S.T.O.P’ and ‘Confronted & Caught’.
These groups specialize in posing as children to identify and apprehend sexual predators.
Following the investigation, Warner was sentenced to two years in prison.
The court also imposed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, requiring him to register as a sex offender for the same duration.
Additionally, the mobile phone seized by police during the investigation was ordered to be destroyed.
Warner was also instructed to pay a victim surcharge of £140, emphasizing the serious consequences of his actions.
